Pegmata

Interview with Thomas Lars Andresen

What have you learned about establishing companies that you can use in academia?

Every time I have established a company and looked at how it unfolds, I have learned something about what needs to be done in academia to be successful in the translation of the discovery and to take it all the way to patients. You really need to understand what a translation looks like to create a company. I have always enjoyed switching between academia and building start-ups because what truly motivates me is to see the discovery transform into something that makes a difference for patients

How did you develop an eye for potential spinouts or translational projects?

When you have an idea, you often run into various limitations and challenges in the translation, so the idea becomes smaller and smaller. I have learned to create ideas that are big enough to have an impact even though they shrink over time. I have also worked in Boston and seen the fundamental differences in how we approach building start-ups. In Denmark, we are very result-orientated and focus on what we have and how to prove that it works. In Boston, there is a much bigger focus on continuously expanding the vision of the solution and science. What could we do? How big could this become? I believe it is essential to find a balance because you need to show results while expanding your idea.

What are the most promising technologies or solutions you have seen come out of health tech?

There are many new promising technologies. Biomedical imaging, diagnostics, wearables, and our understanding of how to use digital analysis of data. Another area is gene therapy, which I work in. The idea is big, and if we can make it work, it will be huge.